Was I not Good Enough?
Was I not Good Enough? "Was I not good nough?" The dragonet mewled sadly. "Did I say the wrong thing? Did I fly the wrong way? Did I talk too much? Mommy?" Tears dripped down her obsidian scales like a silver downpour, shimmering in the harsh but soft glow of a lantern, its fire slowly dying. "Mommy!" She cried as the lantern was snuffed out. A deep voice began to speak, gravelly and gruff and harsh as nails on a chalkboard. "Be quiet." "But Mommy!" The dragonet pleaded into the darkness. "Did I eat too much? Did I sleep too much? Did I talk to or 'nore the wrong dragon?" "No. Be quiet!" Soft sobs were heard. "I'm.. sorry... Mommy... I'm tryin... notta.... cry" the little voice gasped. Soon the sobs were snuffed out. The occasional chirp of a cricket was heard. "Tell me Mommy" the dragonet cried softly. "Will you shut up? They will be here soon." "Mommy, I don't wanna go!" the dragonet sobbed again, and then caught herself with a struggling, deep, gasp. "Well you are. Shut up." "Mommy please!" "Will you shut up if I tell you?" A little head nodded furiously in the darkness. "Fine. No questions. I'll tell you what I want to." "I never wanted an egg. And then you were born. Your father wanted you, but then he died. You were never quiet. You needed stuff. You needed me to do everything for you. If I had to have an egg, I wanted a son, to work. You were a daughter. I wanted a child with powers. You have no powers. You got in the way. You made noise just walking around. My customers didn't take me seriously with a little dragonet at my feet. You cried. I will have to pay for school. You were a burden." "I won't be a burnedun!" The little dragonet burst out. "I won't make noise! I won't cry! I won't eat! I won't go to school! I'll work! Maybe I have future powers! I won't get in the way! I'll always stay in the basement!" The dragonet broke off with a sob. "Please, Mommy?" The larger dragon snorted. "The queen would make me send you to school. I would get in trouble if you didn't eat. You make noise just by breathing. You don't have powers. Shut up. This is the best deal for me." Silence. Silence that stretched on. Silence that made the air feel heavy. Silence so that you could suddenly hear breathing. Deep, throaty, raspy gasps and small, soft, hiccupping breaths. "Whas a slave" a small voice stirred the silence. An owl hooted. "You don't need to know. Shut up." "But I wanna know! So I ca be the best one inna world so you see an bring me home an then I can be a slave for people as work for you." Harsh laughter startled birds into flight. A mouse skittered into its hole with a frightened squeak. "Shut up. You don't know anything. All you need to know is that you'll be happy and I'll get money. Go to sleep." Silence. Hours of silence. Crickets chirped. Owls hooted. Something rustled in the bushes. And then a voice. "Mommy, do you like the stars?" "Sure" "I like them. I look at the stars an I think maybe the world isa happy, magicy, place. Or maybe Daddy is a star now. Was Daddy nice?" "Your Dad is dead, not some stupid star. Shut up." More silence. "Mommy I..." "Shut up, I hear wingbeats." Minutes passed, the whoomph of several pairs of wings growing louder every second, until many feet thumped onto the ground. "Got the money?" A sack hit the ground with a jingle and a thump. The dragon pulled out a coin from the sack, bit it, nodded, and then counted the coins. Finally, she was satisfied. "Take her." "Nice doing business, Ma'am" a new, sly, slippery voice sneered sarcastically. A grunt. Chains jingled. "Mommy, whyre they giving me cold braklets?" Shut up kid!" Three voices barked in unison. The lantern flared up, revealing two battle scarred SkyWings and two NightWings in it's soft light, one NightWing full grown and one a few months old. The young NightWing was wrapped in chains. "Have a good life, kid" the first Nightwing grunted as she heaved the sack of coins onto her back. The lantern was snuffed out. Jingling and then wingbeats. And then... softly, distant. "Mommy? Was I not good enough?" Silence. Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Completed) Category:Fanfictions (Canon) Category:Genre (Tragedy) Category:Content (ADragonDreaming881) Category:Genre (Short Story)